Nexus requirements

Author's instructions

File credits

RealShelter Patcher that gave me an idea that TES5Edit can be used for patching and got me started

Donation Points system

This mod is not opted-in to receive Donation Points

This is a NO-SCRIPTS, NO-INI, patcher mod that makes all followers, mortal again and be able to be killed by enemies naturally. Remember, this only deals with FOLLOWERS, and other NPCs like Jarls and some townspeople are still immortal so you don't break quests.

What is does

Change ALL followers into non-protected/non-essential so they can be killed

This includes CUSTOM follower mods you installed

Change the follower Quest Alias to be non-protected so the status won't come back when hired

What it does not do

NONE of those in-game scripts that make you slow, CTD or ILS

Does not "force" mortality of followers. If another mod "forces" it with a script, they're still immortal

Does not affect non-follower NPCs. Jarls and Townspeople are safe. Quests won't break.

UPDATES: v1.1

No more asking or filename, it will always use VolatileFollowers.esp

No more dialog that asks about adding master. Too spammy if you have many follower mods

No need to use USKP nor USLEEP to support vanilla followers

Heavily refactored / optimized code

UPDATES: v1.2

Fixed bug where, if the ESP file already exists, it does not update contents

UPDATES: v1.3

Fixed bug where the records copied are corrupted, because we are not able to fully copy the last override of the form record

This brings back the dialog that asks about adding master, but now only shows of VERY FEW times, unlike last time where all plugin files that contain NPCs have a dialog message

This is a PATCHER. But before you freak out thinking about SkyProc hell, NO. This is a TES5Edit-based Patcher, not Java-based. This will not take you hours to complete. After the usual TES5Edit loading of your mods, it won't even take a minute!

Mod Organizer

Download and Install mod, enable it

Click on the "Data" tab on the right pane, beside Archives and Saves

Find tools/Volatile Followers, and expand it. List of files will show

Right-click VFPatcher.bat and "Add as Executable"

When you run it, wait for TES5Edit and the mod to do their things.

Make sure the generated ESP File (with the filename you supplied) is enabled.

NMM / Manual Install

Download and Install mod (Enable it if NMM)

Go to your /Data/tools/Volatile Followers/ directory

Run/Double-click on VFPatcher.bat

Wait for TES5Edit and the mod to do their things.

Make sure the generated ESP File (with the filename you supplied) is enabled.

How it works

The patcher runs through your mods, gets all NPCs in the PotentialFollowerFaction

We get the source files from where the NPCs are from and add them as the patch file's master

Get the LAST OVERRIDE of each NPC and copy it into the patch file, then set protected=0 essential=0

This means that even if you have other mods that override followers, we'll use the latest one being used by the game and modify upon it. So you see compatibility is not much of an issue.

Re-running after adding mods / Modifying Load Order

Make sure VolatileFollowers.esp is selected when re-running the script

If you specified a different filename before, delete the esp file

If you want to be sure, you can always delete the old Volatile Followers esp file before re-running

Run this BEFORE Merged/Bashed/SkyProc Patch every time you add/remove follower mods. However, in case you're not doing Merged, Bashed or SkyProc patchers, then just execute this last, and comes at the end of your load order.

Load order will look like this:

All other mods including follower mods

VolatileFollowers.esp (you choose the filename yourself in the patcher)

Just make sure those mods don't force the NPC to be immortal (e.g. on AFT, uncheck "NPC cannot permanently die")

Regardless of Load Order, the follower overhauls are followed instead of this mod. This is because we are NO-SCRIPTS and only control data in LAUNCHING the game. Those follower overhauls have scripts that control WHILE you're in-game.

Why need this when follower overhauls are followed:

Unchecking "NPC cannot permanently die" only reverts the follower to its ORIGINAL STATE

If the follower's ORIGINAL STATE is still immortal/essential, they still cannot die, even it's unchecked

This mod alters the ORIGINAL STATE into non-essential/non-protected, so when the follower mods revert, NPC can die

No Essential NPCs ini TweakCompatible: YESNotes:

Doesn't cause bugs together, but I don't know why you'd use both

You choose this if you want innocent non-follower NPCs live, ini tweak if you don't care who dies